A wide range of people in the community suffer the physical and emotional fallout of criminal activity. What are the social factors that cause crime?
Crime leaves a trail of devastation for the victims, the perpetrators and the families of the criminals. It also serves to create a sense of fear in the community.
Crime itself lays a wide trail of devastation behind.
What are the common characteristics in young people who go to prison?
Noel Clear, Social Welfare Officer at Saint Patrick's Institution describes the impact of social deprivation. Many of the boys who end up in Saint Patrick's come from large families living in areas of high unemployment with poor social amenities. Many of them are not members of any organised group such as a youth club and take to hanging around the streets where they get involved in crime.
You can't expect them to stay in every night with about thirteen fourteen children in the family and so he must take to the street corner. If he takes to the street corner the problem is where does he go?
One family describe their living circumstances and the experience of having a son who has fallen into the world of crime.
Another widow of sixteen tells the story of one of her sons who is now serving an eight month prison sentence.
'Horizon: Am I my Brother's Keeper?' broadcast on 7 May 1969. The presenter is Miriam Hederman.
